I feel like I've been at the amusement park and riding rides and it's only 3:00. So while I'm excited I have more time for more rides, I'm starting to get a wee bit tired from all the ones I've been on thus far. So let's clarify I would not change the fact that I have iPads or that I've had to create a blended room to get five iPads to work with my class size. But with all the whirlwind I feel like there's been lots of hills and valleys that I've gone through this year and that there's more to go. Here's the basics of things...
Step One: Groups
First things first, you gotta plan. I created an excel chart that I just mark up with pencil, for who my students have grouped with and who they haven't (X - they have; blank box - they haven't). I could probably keep this in excel, but I like my paper copy of this for some reason. Their first group they got to choose (speed grouping), but after that they've been paired by me. I'm currently on track so that every student in my room will have worked with every other student by the end of the semester.
Step Two: Planning What They Are Doing
The second step of my planning I analyze what I'd like them to learn about from the unit that I don't have time to go in depth about and what they are potentially going to need in future classes and create a web quest that allows them to go in depth about the material, and then specify how many days for each of the mini assignments. Who ever decided that one semester for 5,900+ years of history obviously didn't like history or want to spend time on it (Shame on them).
Step Three: Implementation
I have students come in to a bell ringer. The bell ringer takes five minutes of the period (which is how many minutes students had to answer each constructed response question on the World History MSL in the fall so we're practicing). During that five minutes I take attendance, hand out iPads, and hand out any fill-ins to the opposite side of the room. Then it begins, before class I've posted the daily assignment on Edmodo so the iPad people sign in, read the directions, and begin - messaging me with any questions. The other side of the room we are doing general notes about the units various topics. They answer their closings and then we switch and repeat the process.
Step Four: Paperless
I'm not paperless in regards to my traditional notes (although I am revamping those so that they are LESS papers), but first semester my technology even had papers. As we went on and I got better at using Edmodo, I no longer give them a copy of a web quest or vocabulary lists. They are online and I attach a file (web quests) or a link (vocabulary), even directions for a project get posted. The benefit of that is there's nothing for them to lose (other than their answer sheet), so even if they are at home they can access the information. My iPad groups rarely ever have papers anymore (unless they're using the internet to do a map). I would love to be a room that is 100% paperless (especially since copies never increased, but printer ink is gone after this year (I'm rationing what I have)), but since I don't have a 1:1 ratio I don't see that part (100% paperless) ever happening, but I'm working on minimizing it. Until that day I have quarter sheets in the back of my room from torn up papers that I'll utilize (reduce, REUSE, recycle).
Things I've Learned:
- Screen Checks are Necessary - I had a student who just came back from being suspended today who decided he'd rather go on facebook, than do his work on the iPad (he's lost the iPad for the next Unit). They need reminders of what they're supposed to be doing and that they need to be doing it. I also have applications that I have them go on when they're done with the unit (Pocket Law Firm is "Do I have a Right" from iCivics - reviews amendments; Mahjong, Map Quizzes, Letris, etc. it is interactive and works on their analysis skills).
- Establish Punishments BEFORE They Do Something - we didn't have to talk about what or why he was losing the iPad for the next Unit. We had it already stated, it's posted on the wall. If there's a next time, he knows that he's off the iPads period.
- Evaluations - I don't just have students tell me about the project and whether or not they liked it; I have them tell me about each other in regards to who did what for the project in the first place. In the future, I'm planning on making google doc forms for this so it will be even faster than the verbal interviews or where they physically put it on paper (I have yet to decide if I'm going to make one general form or separate forms for each unit).
The Great Moments:
- Students Tying it Things from the Web Quests - Sometimes the web quest isn't on something that we are starting the unit with, but something we are talking about in a few days. When someone brings up something from the web quest during the notes/class discussion part of the classroom it makes my day!
- Quizlet - You can tell who has been using Quizlet and who hasn't, it's not difficult. The students who use quizlet typically have a 100% on every quiz. The one's who don't use quizlet or only use it when I've told them they're grade is attached to use it typically get somewhere in the 80's or lower.
- Gestalt Moments - Gestalt is probably one of those guys who you learned about while acquiring your teaching degree while thinking why do I need to know him, but he's correct with his concept of "Aha" moments and those are the main reason I teach; I love being witness to them. Technology is just making more creative presentations of when they're learning them.
Things for Next Year:
- African American Studies - I need to work on more lessons for my African American Studies class. Last semester I tried to have at least one per unit and was doing relatively well. This semester I had planned to do more, but then my class size doubled and suddenly even a blended room would not be enough iPads and computers unless I had groups of 4 or more (which does NOT work with the iPad - three is already pushing it when students have desks and not tables to sit at)
- Tweaking What I've Done - I have some projects I'm going to do slightly differently. Presentations are going to have more things that get graded (body positions, eye contact, etc.). Some web quests are going to stay the same, some are going to change, etc. And then depending on whether I earned a grant or not will decide what further changes their are.
- Adding to It - I'm attending a Teacher Institute as soon as the school year is over. I also have more Pinnacle Training, but I also plan in participating in Twitter Conversations over the summer, checking in with flipbook, etc. for what's going on in the realm of education.
Outside of the Classroom:
I even have a personal blog now for my sewing projects that I'm going to try to keep up with; not because I plan on posting it and getting lots of hits, but just so I can document and see the changes as I move from one project to another (and in regards to redoing certain projects I can re-read and make changes based on what I wrote).
